Susquenita High School will present its fall musical “The Man in Seat 24,” at 7 p.m., Nov. 18 and 19, in the auditorium.

The production was a challenge due to recent budget cuts, but students maintained their passion for theater and promise to deliver a stellar production.

The play features an irate, rude and combative theater patron, played by Jacob Matter, who hijacks the cast, crew and his fellow theatergoers and ends up dead in the middle of the stage.

“The Man in Seat 24” is a murder mystery, involving a play within a play, as the theater director, played by senior Kara Stiely, investigates the murder.

Senior Courtney Schlusser is nervous and excited about the play, as it will be one of her first-ever leading roles.

Play co-director Lee Williams said Schlusser always has been active in singing and the theater but has yet to be in a leading role.

Along with Matter, Stiely and Schlusser, the cast includes seniors Abigail Rosenberger as Evie, an elderly, nervous woman; Sarah Beitzel as Norma, an actress involved in the play within the play; Brandon Gallagher as Jim, Norma’s husband who finds himself being the brunt of everyone’s jokes; and Daniel Martin as Nate, a 70-year-old man.

Matter said the show is packed full of surprises. “You will not forget it.”

Audience members should be prepared to become a character at any moment.

The players, over the few months they’ve had to prepare, have grown closer.

“I was worried at first,” said Williams. “We have all these different kids together, and I was afraid we might have had disagreements, but this cast has really grown and I think they have a lot of fun together.”

Student director Rachel Hansrote also has

watched the group grow as a whole. A sophomore, she is used to being in the limelight, but this year she chose to stand behind the curtains and be a second hand to Williams.

Williams also relies on co-director Angela Reisinger, who is “like a daughter” to him.

“Both Ang and I are very grateful for such a group of kids. Everyone is very supportive,” said Williams.

Tickets for the performance are on sale at Susquenita. The cost is $6. A chicken and waffle dinner will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. before the play.